Scare Dares
Scare Dares is the second season premiere. Plot Matt and Tanya (who have grown since their last appearance) are writing to their cousins Dan and Kara about the recent goings on at Shining Time. The station is busier than ever. Harry Cupper was transferred to Fort Farley, so a new engineer named Billy Twofeathers has been hired. Schemer is still his old self, and Stacy has never been happier running the station. The events of Season 1's final episode "'Tis a Gift" are mentioned. Mr. Nicholas needed help in his workshop after returning to the North Pole, so Mr. Conductor went with him. His cousin, also named Mr. Conductor, has arrived to take his place. According to Tanya, "there always a Mr. Conductor living here, or else it wouldn't be Shining Time Station." Dan and Kara come to visit the station just in time for Halloween. Kara appears first with Matt and Tanya in their Halloween costumes. Tanya is a witch, Matt is a king, and Kara is an engineer (as she wants to be one when she grows up). Kara is introduced to Stacy, who gives her a warm welcome. Dan however is not back yet, so the kids go off to look for him. Dan appears, but without a costume. Stacy encourages him to explore and look for one. Dan looks in on Billy playing a mysterious tune on a carved whistle. Shyly, he hurries away before Billy can notice him. Schemer is getting into the Halloween spirit too by selling pumpkins in his arcade. They're all rotten, so he's painting them orange. Stacy lectures him about his dishonest idea, but Schemer likes to think of it as giving the pumpkins a disguise. To him, the spirit of Halloween is about making money selling costumes and pumpkins and getting free candy. Stacy mutters something, and when Schemer leans in to listen, she yells "BOO!" "Now that's the spirit of Halloween," she says to the easily frightened Schemer, who has gotten orange paint all over his hands thanks to her joke. In the Jukebox, the band discusses dressing up in costumes, with Rex and Tex remembering about going as each other one year. They all hurry to their dressing rooms to get into costume. Mr. Conductor descends from the ceiling dressed as a spider in front of Dan and Kara, mistaking them for Matt and Tanya. When he realizes his mistake, he disappears, saying with a disembodied voice that he's only in their imagination. The kids explain that they're related to Matt, Tanya, Stacy and Harry and have been told all about his stories and magic. Mr. Conductor, now knowing they like stories, trains and magic, properly introduces himself. He's dressed as a spider because he's going trick-or-treating, "here, there and everywhere." Kara asks if the Island of Sodor celebrates Halloween. Mr. Conductor replies that they even have ghosts. To explain this, he tells them the story of "Percy's Ghostly Trick." Percy is telling Thomas and Toby the story of a ghost train that his driver told him the night before. Percy is afraid to think of it, however Thomas doesn't believe a word and runs off calling Percy a silly little engine. Percy tells his driver that Thomas didn't believe in the ghost and explains that he does not either; it was a pretend ghost story. Percy can't help but be disappointed. That evening, after his work at the harbour is done, Percy runs back to the shed. Percy enjoys running at night and knows exactly where he is despite the dark. What Percy doesn't know that there is a broken cart of lyme is ahead on the tracks. When the farmer has gone for help, Percy comes down the line and smashes the cart to pieces and the lyme completely covers Percy, who runs to the nearest signal box. At the signal, Percy meets Toby and his driver explains to the signalman what happened. The signalman arranges to sort out the hazard on the line, but suggests Percy be cleaned up as he looks like a ghost. This gives Percy and idea to scare Thomas and asks not to be cleaned yet. Toby promises to help. '' ''At the shed, a scared Toby arrives and tells Thomas, who is preparing to take his evening train, that Percy has had an accident. Thomas is concerned for Percy, but also worries that this will make him late. Toby tells him the line has been cleared, but that he thinks he saw Percy's ghost. Thomas is unconcerned and tells Toby not to worry. '' ''However, after this, a ghostly voice comes from outside demanding to be let in. Thomas is frightened as the shed doors open and reveals what happens to be Percy's ghost. Thomas, terrified, quickly runs off to collect Annie and Clarabel. '' ''The next morning, Thomas finally returns and meets Toby at the station. Toby asks what happened and Thomas reveals he slept in the goods shed claiming he didn't intrude as Toby would be sad about Percy. However, as he makes his excuses, Percy whistles in the distance and Thomas runs off. '' ''Percy, now cleaned up and none the worse for his adventure, arrives having heard everything. Percy can't help but be pleased as Toby remarks that Thomas is acting as if he had seen a ghost. Mr. Conductor disappears afterwards to go trick-or-treating in the Tropics. Dan boasts that Thomas was silly to be afraid of ghosts. This makes Kara think that nothing scares him. Midge Smoot arrives and asks Stacy if she's heard anything lately. She's been visiting her sister in Doodlehaven and wants to catch up on the latest gossip. Stacy tells her that "Every day is a different story," leaving her wondering what the story is and who's telling it. She sets down her hat on the ticket counter and runs off to look for a story. Kara, wanting to see if Dan really is unafraid of anything, dares him to snatch a banana off Midge's hat. Wanting to prove himself, he sneakily places it a amongst Schemer's rotten pumpkins. An hour later, Midge realizes that the banana is missing. Schemer discovers it among his pumpkins and attempts to eat it. Believing Schemer took it, Midge angrily snatches it away from him. Schemer blames the kids for stealing it and Midge scolds him, telling him to pick on someone his own size. He stoops down to her level, and she bops him on the head with a banana. Dan and Kara are busy hanging streamers along the bench in front of the signal house mural. Kara tells Dan he could have gotten into trouble for stealing the banana. Dan protests she made him do it, but she replies he didn't have to do it. As she goes off, Mr. Conductor appears outside the front door dressed in a kilt. He asks Dan if he's found a costume yet. Dan recalls that Stacy told him he could find one around the station, but so far he hasn't found anything yet. Mr. Conductor replies that ideas have a way of coming down from least expected places. He then introduces Dan to the magical Anything Tunnel in the mural, which plays an animated music video called "What Am I Afraid Of?" It talks about secret fears and kids who like to tease others by daring them to do things. The important thing is to stand up to them and show them what you're really made of. Perhaps everyone is afraid of being afraid. Dan protests that people won't like him if they know he's afraid. Mr. Conductor replies that he likes him anyway, and admits he was afraid of both him and Kara until he got to know them. Dan, confused, says that Mr. Conductor didn't have to be afraid of him. Mr. Conductor replies he knew he didn't have to be, and he isn't afraid now, but he still was. As a final joke, he plays a loud tune on his bagpipes as he disappears. Later that evening, the kids arrive at the station for trick or treating. Kara introduces Stacy to her friend Becky. Dan still hasn't appeared, so Becky and Stacy go look for him at the front at the station. Mr. Conductor appears dressed as a cowboy. He's running late for trick or treating in Abilene, Kansas because he stopped by the Island of Sodor to visit Percy. The little green engine was frightened from buffer to buffer. When Tanya asks what he was afraid of, Mr. Conductor tells the story of "Thomas, Percy and the Dragon." Percy is still ribbing Thomas about the time he thought Percy was a ghost. Thomas pays no attention, and one night is asked to collect a special load from Brendam. Thomas is horrified to find it is a dragon, but his driver tells him it is made out of paper and is needed for a carnival. '' ''Meanwhile, Percy is stuck in a siding while shunting and has to stay there for the night because of jammed switches. Thomas passes by with the dragon and Percy is so terrified that he doesn't sleep at all. '' ''The next day Percy sees the dragon again, but is indignant when he sees Thomas pushing it. Thomas explained what happened and the two make up their teasing. The lesson of the tale is simple. Everyone gets afraid, even engines. Anyone who claims they aren't afraid of anything must have spent their whole life sleeping. Mr. Conductor goes off singing "Abilene." Stacy and Becky return with Dan, who still doesn't have a costume. Matt asks if he's afraid of missing trick or treating. Kara replies Dan told her he wasn't afraid of anything. She dares him to open Billy's desk drawer to prove he isn't afraid. As he goes inside Billy's office, Billy himself disappears, causing the other kids to run outside. When Billy asks Dan why he's in his office, Dan admits he went in on a dare. Wisely, Billy tells him that a guy can get into a lot of trouble taking dares. Billy unlocks the desk drawer and pulls out the wooden flute. It is carved to look like an eagle. Reassuring Dan it's nothing to be scared of; he plays a simple tune on it, and then tells him about his Native American tribe. It's a tradition for a man to carve a flute and make his own special song, which he plays for the women he wants to marry and to their children as a lullaby. He gives the flute to Dan, but he can only make faint sounds, causing them both to laugh. Billy tells them music can turn sorrow to happiness, and then helps him come up with a costume. Meanwhile, Schemer feels uneasy in the dark, quiet station, so he puts a nickel in the Jukebox. The band doesn't play immediately, as they are admiring Didi's ghost costume. Schemer tries shaking the machine, but causes a Jack O'Lantern on top of the Jukebox to fall on his head. The band plays "Midnight Special," but freak out when "Didi" is revealed to be an actual ghost! The kids return to the station, only to be frightened by Dan in his new costume. When asked if he wants to do one more dare, he says he's done taking dares from anyone. Schemer suddenly appears frantically trying to get the pumpkin off his head. This scares the kids away. When he finally gets the pumpkin off, he nonchalantly puts it on the ticket counter, calling Halloween "baby stuff" that he's far too dignified for. Suddenly, the pumpkin begins eerily glowing, causing him to run away screaming. Mr. Conductor appears from behind the pumpkin laughing, congratulating himself on his well-played trick. Characters * Mr. Conductor's cousin * Billy * Matt * Tanya * Dan * Becky * Kara * Stacy * Schemer * Midge Smoot * Mr. Conductor (flashback cameo) * Mr. Nicholas (flashback cameo) * Harry (mentioned) * Thomas (mentioned) * Percy (mentioned) Thomas Stories * Percy's Ghostly Trick * Thomas, Percy and the Dragon (George Carlin version only) Jukebox Band Segment Song * Midnight Special Cartoons and Songs * What Am I Afraid Of * Cartoons used in the song: ** ComiColor Cartoons - Jack Frost (1934) ** ComiColor Cartoons - Balloon Land (1935) ** Felix The Cat - Bold King Cole (1936) ** Happy Harmonies - To Spring (1936) ** Color Classics - Play Safe (1936) ** Merrie Melodies - Have You Got Any Castles? (1938) ** Merrie Melodies - Inki And The Minah Bird (1943) ** Casper The Friendly Ghost - There's Good Boos Tonight (1948) ** Popeye The Sailor - Fright to the Finish (1954) ** Casper The Friendly Ghost - Spooking About Africa (1957) Trivia * Stock footage from 'Tis A Gift is used. * This is the first appearance of George Carlin as Mr. Conductor. The first Mr. Conductor (as played by Ringo Starr) went off to help Mr. Nicholas at the North Pole in the Christmas Special 'Tis a Gift. * For Halloween, the Jukebox Puppet Band dresses as Zorro (Tito), a princess (Grace), Robin Hood (Ted and Rex), and Carmen Miranda (Didi). * This is the first appearance of Tom Jackson as Billy Twofeathers who replaces Harry as the resident station engineer. * This is the first appearance of Erica Luttrell as Kara and Ari Magder as Dan. They are both Tanya and Matt's cousins on the show. * This is the first appearance of Danielle Marcot as Becky. * This is the first episode to use a story from Season 3 of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. Percy's Ghostly Trick is also the first story told by Carlin that was originally told by Ringo Starr. This is also the first episode to use the American Thomas and Friends episode title in the credits. * This is the first time the window behind the ticket booth is shown from the outside. * The song "What am I Afraid of?" was released on video as part of "Shining Time Station Singsongs Vol. 1." * This is the only Halloween-themed episode. * This season features a new opening with a larger purple font for the credits and illustrations of a bird and butterfly and the sign "Welcome to Shining Time Pop. 5,007 give or take". The new closing also features the sign "You're leaving Shining Time. Come back soon." Goofs * When the pumpkin falls on Schemer, the jukebox was still tilted forward, but when he gets up, the jukebox is back in it's normal position. * Before the song Midnight Special, Rex was wearing the same costume as Tex, but when the song was playing, Rex was wearing an outlaw costume. Gallery Percy'sGhostlyTrick25.png Percy'sGhostlyTrick23.png Percy'sGhostlyTrick22.png Percy'sGhostlyTrick21.png Percy'sGhostlyTrick20.png Percy'sGhostlyTrick19.png Percy'sGhostlyTrick18.png Percy'sGhostlyTrick17.png Percy'sGhostlyTrick16.png Percy'sGhostlyTrick15.png Percy'sGhostlyTrick14.png Percy'sGhostlyTrick13.png Percy'sGhostlyTrick12.png Percy'sGhostlyTrick11.png Thomas,PercyandtheDragon.jpg File:Moocow4.jpg Episode File:Scare Dares Category:Episodes Category:Season 2